Electronic components, such as ceramic chip capacitors are conventionally "tinned" or soldered at their ends by dipping the component in a solder bath. The amount of solder that can be applied in this manner is not sufficient to make adequate connections for some applications. Additional solder may be applied to the pretinned ends by conventional methods; but when the chip is to be mounted against a flat surface, such as a printed circuit board or holding clip, it is desirable that the surface that is to rest against the board or clip remain substantially flat. In addition, it is also desirable during the automatic processing of the electrical component to insure that one surface of the component remain flat so it will not roll off a carrying surface during automatic handling operations. Conventional methods of applying additional solder to a pretinned component do not allow one surface of the component to remain substantially flat. In manufacturing a component in accordance with the present invention, it is not necessary to employ a special layer of solder-repellant material which is bonded to the component, such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,303 to G. Trost, or to treat the lower surface with a special solder-repellant material that must be later removed.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an automatic soldering machine and method by which a controlled amount of solder can be applied to the pretinned ends of an electronic component, which is in excess of the amount that can be obtained by conventional solder dip bath techniques.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an automatic soldering machine and method by which a controlled amount of solder can be applied to electronic components in such a manner that one surface of the component remains substantially flat.